Constant speed burning attachment for hand torches



June I, 1948.

H. u. MILLETT CONSTANT SPEED BURNING ATTACHMENT FOR HAND TORCHES 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 27, 1944 INVENTOR.

TT'ORNEY.

June 1, 1948.

H. U. MILLETT CONSTANT SPEED BURNING ATTACHMENT FOR HAND 'I'ORCHES FiledSept. 27, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll i'ii'."

HAQVEY Tole/v5 y.

Patented June 1, 1948? CONSTANT SPEED BURNING ATTACHMENT FOR HANDTORCHES Harvey U. Millett, Hawthorne, Calif. Application September 27,1944, Serial No. 555,957 4 Claims. (01. 266-23) This invention relatestov a constant speed burning attachment for hand torches.

In its broader aspect the invention relates to a carrier formechanically supporting a metal fusing torch in a position to cut themetal of an object over which the carrier is movable.

Heretofore one of the defects of metal fusing torches has been thefailure to maintain a constant speed of movement of the torch across thework being operated upon, so as to make the desired clean out throughthe metal.

Among the principal objects of the invention is to overcome theaforesaid defect.

Among other objects of the invention are: to proVide a carrier for atorch which is governor controlled to maintain the constant speeddesired for the burning attachment, as may be required for operatingupon difierent kinds of work; to provide magnetic means to cooperatewith one or more of the traction wheels with which the device issupported, so as to make a more positive action of said governor; toprovide improved mounting means for the torch; to provide improved meansfor attaching the device to difierently shaped metallic objects beingoperated upon, and to, in general, provide a compact and efficientcarrier to control the operation of metal cutting torches whether usedon horizontal underlying objects or in overhead or still otherpositions.

By this invention it is made possible to use metal torches cutting in aneflicient manner in situations where their use has hitherto beenimpossible.

By the use of this invention it is possible to produce smooth, cleanburns on either fiat plates or on pipes, and even when the surfaces tobe operated upon are at various inclinations.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafterappear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate What are atpresent deemed to be preferred embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, partof the torch support being broken away to contract the View.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail taken through the governor at aright angle to the showing of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on angular line 6-6 'of Fig. 2, parts beingbroken away to contract the view and also to show underlying structuresmore clearly.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation showing a portion of a modified form of thedevice attached to a circular object being operated on by the torch.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation looking in the direction of thepointing arrow 8 in Fig. 7.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the device as shown in Figs. 1 to 5comprises a carrier casing, or frame II for supporting an acetylenetorch frame l2 adjacent a piece of work I 3 to be operated on by saidtorch. Wheels I 4 and I5 support said frame, said wheels traveling uponthe work I3 at a predetermined speed while the burner tip I 6 burns itsout through the work. Said wheel I5 is a traction wheel and has itsouter surface knurled to contact more eificiently with the smoothsurface of the metal being operated upon. Said wheel I5 is mounted upona shaft I! having a loose bearing fit in a side Wall 19 of the frame II, there being fixed to said shaft a gear 2i], said gear meshing with apinion 2| which forms the hub portion of a gear 22 on shaft 23 carriedby said frame and serving as a bearing for the wheel 22 and pinion 2|fixed thereto. Gear 22 meshes with a pinion 22a fixed to a gear 24, saidpinion and gear bein rotatably mounted upon a shaft 25, a cylindricalspacing sleeve 27 being provided to' complete this part of thestructure. Gear 24 meshes with a pinion gear 28 fixed to a gear 29, saidpinion and gear being mounted upon the aforesaid shaft 23 and beingpositioned to maintain the mesh of pinion gear 28 and gear 24 by meansof a spacer sleeve 30. Gear 29 meshes with a gear 3| mounted upon ashaft 32, one end of which is carried by the casing wall l9, and theopposite end of which is carried by a bearing member shown as afrusto-conically recessed nut 33 adjustably screwed into the casing wall3t. Said shaft 32 has fixed to it a centrifugally operable governor 35.

As viewed in Figs. 4 and 5 said governor comprises a centrifugallyoperated shoe or brake member 36 which is radially mounted upon theshaft 32 by means of a pintle 31 which is provided with a retractilecoil spring 38 to maintain the shoe 36 out of contact with thefrusto-conical surface 40 of the nut 33, except when the pre--determined speed to which the device is set is egceeded. The shoe 36 hasa tread 36a tapered in correspondence with the taper of the surface ofthe frusto-conical recess 40.

On the upper portion of the frame I l is adjustably mounted by means ofa screw-bolt 500. an arm 50 for supporting the vertical limb 5| of theL-shaped torch carrying member 52, said arm 50 being provided with aclamp structure 53 whereby the limb is gripped for both rotational andlongitudinal adjustment. Upon the limb 54 of the structure 52 is mounteda bracket 55 which supports the burner tip l6, said bracket beingrotationally and longitudinally adjustable on said limb 54, clampingmeans 56 being provided to maintain the burner tip H3 in its variousadjusted positions.

In order to cause the wheel l5 to bear more heavily upon the work,thereby to cause increased traction upon the wheel so as to operate thegovernor -35 more positively a magnet 51 is mounted between the wheelsupon the casing H and adjacent to the work by means of a screw 58 tappedinto a threaded hole in the .casing.

In Fig. 7 is shown an adaptation of the device for making a burning cutupon a circular object as, for example, the pipe 59 shown. Mechanism isshown for obtaining traction between the wheel 15 and said pipe. Themechanism as therein shown consists of an encircling band 69 providedwith a plurality of rectangular apertures 60a occupied by tractionwheels 6! mounted upon axles '62 journalled between clips 63 fastened tothe band at transversely opposite sides of said apertures, as shown. Bypreference, and as :shown,-said clips consist of angular plates each ofwhich has a flat body portion 63a through which extends a screw 63b forattaching each plate internally to the band in a slightly spacedrelation to the other in order to hold the axles =62 in place betweendeflected nose portions 630 of said clips.

The tension means for obtaining a firm contact between the wheels andpipe consists of a clamp screw 64 screwed into an angle piece 85 securedto the exposed end 60a of said strap and having an abutting relation toa filler member 66 having through it an aperture 66a, said filler beinginterposed between the outer face of the adjacent end portion of theband 60a and the casing ii, there being elongated slots 61 and 68adjacent to each end of said encircling band, through which extends abolt 69 that passes through said aperture 96a and is screwed into thethreaded portion of the casing structure formerly occupied by thealready mentioned screw for attaching the mag- .net to the casing.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only and that this invention includes all modificationsand equivalents which fall within the scope of the .subject .matterclaimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A centrifugal speed governing device mounted upon a wheel supportedframe, said frame providing a carrier for an acetylene torch whereby thelatteris supported for movement adjacent to the work, means including ashaft operatively connected to the wheel support of said frame to rotatesaid device, means operatively connected with said device to apply abraking action to the rotation of a wheel of said wheel supported framewhen the speed of such wheel exceeds a predetermined amount, the lattermeans comprising a frusto-conically recessed nut adjustably screwed intosaid frame and carrying one end of said shaft, said governing devicecomprising a centrifugally operated shoe, a pintle whereby said shoe isradially mounted upon said shaft, said pintle being provided with aretractile spring whereby said shoe is maintained out of contact withthe frusto-conical surface voi.:isaid nut except 4 when thepredetermined speed to which the device is set is exceeded.

2. In a centrifugal speed governing device mounted upon a wheelsupported frame, a rotatable shaft operatively connected with a wheel ofsaid frame, a nut having an inwardly tapering frusto-conical recess inone of its ends, said nut being adjustably screwed into said frame andcarrying one end of said shaft in a concentric relation to said recess,a centrifugally operable shoe, a pintle carrying said shoe, said pintlebeing slidably related to said shaft and extendin transversely throughit, and a retractile spring operatively related to said pintle andcoiled therearound to maintain said shoe out of contact with thefrusto-conical recess of said nut except when the predetermined speed towhich the device is set is exceeded.

3. In a centrifugal speed governing device to govern the speed ofrotation of a carrier supporting wheel, a frame having two spaced apartside walls, a shaft one end portion of which is rotatably supported byone of said walls, an externally screwthreaded nut screwed into anaperture provided for it in the other of said walls, said nut havingwithin it an axial bore within which the opposite end portion of saidshaft is rotatably supported, said nut also having in the end thereofinto which said shaft extends a concentric inwardly taperingfrusto-conical recess, the part of said shaft within said recess havingthrough it a transverse bore, a pintle eX- tending loosely through saidbore and having a projecting end portion at each side of said shaft, ashoe carried by one of said projecting end portions of said pintle, aspring connected with the opposite end portion of said pintle andtending to move said shoe toward said shaft, and means carried by saidshaft to form the last link in its operative connection with theaforesaidsupporting wheel of said carrier, so that when said wheel isrotated above a predetermined speed centrifugal force will cause saidshoe to overcome the opposition of said spring and move into a brakingrelation to the surface of said conical recess, said shaft beinganchored against endwise movement so that inscrewing of said nut willcause the governor to apply the brake at less speed and outscrewing ofsaid nut will cause the governor to rotate faster before it applies thebrake.

4. The subject matter of claim 1, and said shoe having a tread taperedwith a taper correspond ing to the taper of the frusto-conical recess ofsaidnut.

- HARVEY U. MILLE'I'I.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file-ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,276,367 Ide Aug. 20, 19181,379,360 Pickering May 24, 1921 1,431,377 Dean Oct. 10, 1922 1,852,413Hickey Apr. 5, 1932 1,925,383 Hickey Sept. 5, 1933 2,030,840 Allen Feb.18, 1936 2,208,211 Crowe July 16, 1940 2,278,607 Anderson Apr. 7, 1942FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 145,067 Austria Mar. 25, 1936

